Barbecue cooks fire up grills in 3rd annual competition

Juha Silvola, with "Kritter Kookers" from Fallbrook, places chicken back into the smoker during the third annual Wild Wild West BBQ Championship at the La Laguna Resort & Boat Launch in Lake Elsinore.
www.andrewfoulkphotography.com

Eddie Sanders makes customized barbecue grills for a living and cooks for fun.

But on New Year's Day, the Lake Elsinore man cooked for cash on one of his grills, at the third annual Wild Wild West BBQ Championship held at the La Laguna Resort and Boat Launch.

"This is the first time I've ever done this," Sanders said. "And I got a 9-9-9 on the chicken. That's unheard of, I'm told."

Sanders' team was one of 33 to compete in the two-day Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned event that concluded Tuesday in Lake Elsinore.

It was a chance to test his barbecuing skills. It was also an opportunity to promote his Murrieta business, RedNek BBQs, which makes themed grills for firefighters, football fans, motorcycle riders and others.

Event promoter Henry Silvestre said judges graded grillers on how they cooked four different meats: chicken, ribs, pork and brisket. Scores range from 2 to 9.

"Nine being perfect; 2 being horrible," Silvestre said. "To score below a 2, you have to be disqualified."

For each meat, cooks were evaluated on presentation, tenderness and taste, he said.

"One of the misconceptions is that ribs have to fall off the bone," Silvestre said. "Anybody can do that because all that means is that they are overcooked."

A half dozen judges put up scores for each category. One of the six who graded Sanders' chicken put up 9s across the board. Another awarded him an 8-9-9.

"More than anything I'm having fun," Sanders said.

So were Gwen Peniche of Fontana and Ryan Malone of Valencia, who at ages 12 and 10 respectively were the youngest contestants. They were competing as the team of "Canada Danger."

Gwen Peniche said she was determined to beat her aunt and uncle, who were also in the competition. And Ryan Malone said he was working hard to best his father.

"This one belongs to me," said his father, Dave Malone. "He's been pointing his finger: 'You're going down.'"

When asked what their secret was, Gwen and Ryan said in unison, "Can't tell that."

More than 1,000 people attended the waterfront event, which was punctuated by the energetic music of a rock band and filled with the aroma of barbecue sauces and smoked meat.

Silvestre said the inaugural event was held two years ago in Wildomar on New Year's Eve 2010 and New Year's Day 2011.

Then last year he moved the two-day cookoff to Knott's Berry Farm in Orange County.

Changes in Knott's ownership and demands prompted him to move the competition back to Riverside County, which the Wildomar man said was fine with him.

"Hopefully it will become an annual thing that brings dollars to the local economy," Silvestre said.

He said the new venue on the northwestern shore of Lake Elsinore turned out to be an ideal location for the barbecue championship. Next year, Silvestre said, he would like to incorporate the next-door campground into the event.